Optimal Sampling Requirements for Robust and Fast Vegetation High Impedance Fault Detection

Low fault currents, associated with Vegetation High Impedance Fault (VeHIF) events, are often challenging to clear by relying on traditional overcurrent based protection schemes. Frequency (LF) harmonics have readily been used in the literature as potential detection features. (HF) signatures also generated during VeHIFs events. These generally underrepresented, potentially for reducing computational burden and cost of proposed solutions. This work presents temporal magnitude growth comparison LF HF current spectrums using a dataset 125 phase-to-earth (ph-to-e) tests. The key focus is comparing protection-speed efficacy signatures. For analysed dataset, spectral components was determined be faster larger number tests higher average lead-time margins. Conversely, fewer smaller margin. spectrum lead indicator 68.2 % ph-to-e test recordings an 26.95 s. same leading only 25.6 7.85 Analysis has revealed that sampling frequency, large 1.8 MHz, may required when designing applications, where speed critical robustness.